


Humdrum Life

by pretty_pendragon



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Best Friends, Canon Era, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, M/M, Magic Revealed, Merlin's Magic Revealed, My First Work in This Fandom, POV Third Person Omniscient, Real Life, Realistic, Romance, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-07
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-20 04:18:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,636
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16548764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pretty_pendragon/pseuds/pretty_pendragon
Summary: Merlin has been in Camelot for five years now, and has more than settled into his routine as Prince Arthur's manservant and good friend. Merlin believes Arthur will make a great king one day, and his fondness for him is ever growing. . .





	Humdrum Life

Merlin awoke at dawn to the sound of birds chirping. He rose from his bed, and his feet touched the cold stone floor of his and Gaius’ quarters. Breathing in deeply, Merlin stood up, and stretched. The sun had not yet risen, and out his small window, he could see hues of yellow, pink, and blue forming a gradient on the horizon beyond the walls of Camelot. He was grateful he woke early, to not miss the early morning quiet.

Merlin left his room and went down the few small steps into Gaius’ workshop, where Gaius still slept on his cot, softly snoring. Walking quietly past Gaius, Merlin picked up the wash bucket from under a bench, and made his way out of their quarters, closing the door ever so carefully behind him.

The corridor was quiet as Merlin walked toward the steps at its end, and he sighed softly at the calm the air held. The wash bucket knocked against his leg as he descended the citadel steps, the handle creaking in his hand. In the dim but ever-growing morning light, Merlin could see three guards standing by the archway across the cobblestone plaza, like silent statues. Nodding as he walked past them, Merlin made his way down the path to the lower town.

The brisk air made Merlin’s nose and ears cold, and faint puffs of air could be seen as he walked. The lower town was quicker to rise than the habitants within the citadel, as their lives are more demanding. Rising after daybreak is not conducive to peasant or working life.

Merlin passed Gwen’s home just in time to see her on her way to the castle, leaving her door in a small wool wrap.

“Hello, Merlin,” she greeted, offering him a warm, albeit tired smile as she walked up to him standing in the path by her home.

“Gwen,” Merlin nodded, smiling back.

“I’ll see you soon,” she said, walking by him.

“Alright,” he answered, and continued walking to water pump a few homes down.

Once there, the handle was cold and wet as Merlin pushed down, filling the wash bucket with water. He shivered thinking how cold it will be to wash with.

The sky had grown lighter, and the humble abodes and dirt path of the lower town were illuminated more than they had be when Merlin arrived. Despite not being far from his quarters, fetching water to wash with in the morning took more time than Merlin wished.

Holding the bucket handle, Merlin left the water pump, walking swiftly and carefully back up the path toward the citadel. Water sloshed out the sides as he walked, so he decided to hold it against his chest, where only a slight trickle came over the sides, wetting his arms, giving him goosebumps.

Passing the guards once again, Merlin offered a small smile, grimacing at his awkward handling of the wash bucket. He walked slowly up the stairs, and back down the corridor to his quarters.

Gaius was still asleep as Merlin pushed open the door, although he no longer snored. Merlin would have to be very quiet. He carried the bucket over to the far corner of their quarters, where a small drain lay in the ground. There was low hanging drape that Merlin drew to allow himself privacy if Gaius were to wake. Grabbing a cloth from a small stool in the corner, Merlin dipped it into the water. He gasped softly at the almost electric touch of the cold water. _This will not do_. Gazing into the bucket, Merlin exhaled, and a small curl of steam rose from the water. He submerged the cloth again, this time into warm water, and began to wash. _Much better_.

* * *

Merlin donned clean trousers and his blue tunic, and then tied a red scarf around his neck. The red scarf was a gift from his mother, and he wore it every day. He chuckled, supposing other servants and workers in the castle probably thought it odd. _Oh well_.

Once again, Merlin walked down the steps from his room into the workshop, where Gaius had just put on some water for tea.

“Good morning, Merlin,” Gaius croaked, then clearing his throat, asked, “Would you care for some tea this morning? It is rather chilly.”

“If I had more time, I would, but I must be off to Arthur,” Merlin responded, wishing he had time for tea.

“Suit yourself, then. My old bones don’t do well in chilly weather, we have to start leaving the coals to die down overnight,” Gaius said, sitting at the dining table. “Care for something to eat?” he asked, ripping off a piece of the bread from a loaf left out from the night before, “I am sorry breakfast isn't prepared. You don’t usually wake up so early. If anything, you usually oversleep,” Gaius accused, raising an eyebrow. He offered the bread to Merlin.

Merlin smiled. “You’re right, I do” he conceded, chuckling and taking the bread. “Thanks, Gaius—I’ll see you tonight!” he called, turning on his heel and hurrying out the door.

Gaius smiled and shook his head, taking a bite of the bread. _Ugh…stale_.

* * *

Merlin rapped three times on the door to Prince Arthur’s chambers, and listened for a few seconds. Hearing the Prince snoring in his chambers, he looked at the two guards positioned on either side of the door way and shook his head. “A Prince always needs his beauty sleep,” he said to them, and they chuckled as he opened the door slowly.

Within, thick curtains at the window made the room dark. Merlin waited a moment until his eyes adjusted and then went over to the window, drawing the curtains gradually, allowing morning sunrays to stream across the floor and fill the room. He turned to see if he had woken the Prince, whose snoring had broken up a bit, but saw that he was still asleep, hardly visible beneath the covers, his back to Merlin. His snoring quickly resumed its pattern, and Merlin began his chores.

Merlin laid Arthur’s clothes for the day over his changing screen, wiped down the dining table, set it for breakfast, swept the floor, brushed up Arthur’s boots, dusted the armoire, quietly snuck off to royal kitchen for the Prince’s breakfast, sure to keep it covered so as to not get cold, and was wiping the windows when Merlin realized it was quiet, and Arthur was no longer snoring.

“Good morning, Merlin,” the Prince said sleepily, and Merlin turned, bending at the waist, “Sire. How are you this morning?”

“Alright, but it’d be better if I ate some breakfast,” he lamented, moving to sit at the edge of the bed.

“Well it’s just your luck—I have it ready for you, Sire,” Merlin announced as the Prince rubbed his eyes. Arthur's head cocked in confusion, his blonde hair resembling hay as it pointed in every direction while he squinted in the morning light.

“Really? Who are you, and what have you done with my manservant? Merlin never has breakfast ready for me when I wake up,” he said, slightly flabbergasted.

Merlin shrugged, “I woke up early today.”

“Alright, I won’t get used to it then,” Arthur joked, rising from bed and walking over to the changing screen.

Pursuing his lips at the Prince’s sass, Merlin went to pour some water for him as he got changed.

“Merlin,” Arthur called after a moment.

Merlin came over to the changing screen to help the Prince secure the neckline of his red vest, which was emblazoned with the gold Pendragon crest.

“Thank you,” the Prince said, and went to sit at the table. Merlin removed the cover from Arthur’s breakfast and then went back to wiping the windows.

“Mm,” Arthur grunted, enjoying his first bites of food, “You really should wake up earlier, Merlin.” Merlin rolled his eyes. “This is great, I wouldn’t mind for each morning to go like this,” Arthur continued, “So what was it thatmade you wake up so early and not be late like you usually are?”

Turning from his chore, a bit exasperated,Merlin shrugged, and sighed, “I just woke up.”

Arthur ate the last sausage on his plate before teasing, “I should fire you for that, you know—being late all time. Why do I put up with you, Merlin?” He drank the last of his water and sat back in his chair, looking at Merlin with a mischievous grin.

Merlin shook his head, knowing Arthur did not care about him being late, unless he did, in which case the Prince made his day miserable. “I don’t know, Sire.”

“Neither do I” Arthur confessed, still looking at Merlin with amusement. His smile faded as he turned back the table and put his face in his hands, exhaling loudly.

“Are you alright, Arthur?” Merlin asked, frowning a bit.

“Yes,” Arthur droned, his voice muffled by his hands, “I’m just so bloody tired.”

Merlin could sympathize with that. “I know how you feel,” he said.

“No, you don’t,” Arthur said, his voice still muffled. Merlin was quizzical, but then Arthur's head snapped up and looked at Merlin with feigned anger, barely able to contain his laughter. “Because you always sleep late!” The Prince exclaimed and laughed heartily. Merlin narrowed his eyes and huffed, his cheeks flushing slightly.

Rising from his seat, Arthur placed his hand on firmly Merlin’s shoulder and gave him a quick shake, and a playful shove.

“Come on, Merlin, I’m just messing with you,” he chided.

“Don’t worry, sire, I’m more than happy to go back to my lazy, unproductive ways,” Merlin assured Arthur earnestly.

“Now that’s more like it,” Arthur said cheerfully, pulling on some gloves. “But fetch my sword before you do, Merlin. It’s time we’re off to training.”


End file.
